Supports for fuel burners



Aug. 5, 1969 P. J. CLARK SUPPORTS FOR FUEL BURNERS Filed Aug. 17, 1967lllllllllllllll United States Patent US. Cl. 6039.74 2 Claims ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE A gas turbine engine burner for gas or liquid fuel hasan inner passage for liquid fuel surrounded by an annular passage forgas, the burner being mounted in the engine by part-spherical bearings,that at the downstream end being mounted to permit of lengthwisemovement of the burner end in the engine to accommodate expansion.

This invention relates to fuel burners and to support means therefor,the object being to provide such a burner in a convenient form.

In accordance with the present invention a burner is provided with meansfor supporting it in a structure at two spaced positions lengthwisethereof, comprising a pair of part spherical bearings at said positionsrespectively, one of the bearings being connected to the burner so as topermit of lengthwise movement of the burner relatively to the structure.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which FIGURE 1 illustrates in cross-section a burnersupported in a gas turbine engine in a manner in accordance with theinvention, and FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of one end of the burner.

The burner illustrated is arranged for the supply of liquid fuel oralternatively gaseous fuel to combustion apparatus of a gas turbineengine. The engine shown has an annular combustion chamber 1 defined byinner and outer walls 2, 3 made up from a plurality of interconnectedsections. The chamber 1 is enclosed within an annular air jacket whichis defined by inner and outer walls 4, 5. There is also an outer casing6 to the interior of which air is admitted at the upstream end in amanner not shown.

The upstream ends of the air jacket walls 4, are spaced to provide apath for the entry of a proportion of the air within the outer casingand some of this can enter the chamber, as Well as through a swirler 8at the upstream end of the combustion chamber 1. Attached to the swirler8 is an annular flare plate 9 forming the upstream wall of thecombustion chamber 1. This is attached at its inner and outer edges tothe walls 2, 3 of the chamber 1, and there is also an air entry nosepiece 9a secured by its inner and outer edges to the combustion chamberwalls 2, 3.

Supported upon the outer casing 6 and also within the swirler 8 are aplurality of equi-angularly spaced elongated burners, one of which isshown in cross-section in the drawing.

The burner comprises an inner tubular member 10 through which liquidfuel is intended to be supplied, and inner and outer concentric tubularparts 11, 12 between which gaseous fuel is intended to be supplied. Theliquid fuel from the member 10 can be discharged into the combustionchamber 1 from a nozzle 13, and the gaseous fuel can be discharged intothe combustion chamber 1 through a plurality of angularly spacedinclined openings 14 formed in a part 15, surrounding the nozzle 13.This part 15 also serves to interconnect the inner and outer parts 11,12 at their downstream ends.

The face of the member 15 between the nozzle 13 and the openings 14 isprovided with a plurality of slots 16 arranged at inclined angles to aradial plane at this face, these slots 16 communicating with the spacedefined between the inner tubular member 10 and the inner tubular part11. Air enters this space through a radially extending opening 17, thisopening being formed in a body 18 to which the upstream ends of theparts 11, 12 are connected. The air is given a swirling motion as itflows through the slots 16 into the combustion chamber 1.

Through the body 18 extend a plurality of angularly spaced passages 19,which are off-set from the axis of the body which is concentric with themember 10 and parts 11, 12. The passages 19?, one of which is shown,communicate through drillings 19a with an annular gallery 10 formed in apart 21 connected to the body 18, the outer boundary of the gallerybeing defined by a part 22 having an inlet 23 for gaseous fuel. Theopposite ends of the passages 19 communicate with the space definedbetween the inner and outer tubular parts 11, 12.

It is to be noted that the inner tubular member 10 and the inner andouter tubular parts 11, 12 are sufliciently long to afford a lengthwisespacing between the body 18 r and the member 15 of approximately eleveninches in the present example, and the region surrounding the outertubular part 12 is that to which the air is admitted. The opening 17also communicates with this region.

The swirler 8 fixed in the flare plate 9 of the engine forms a supportfor the downstream end of the burner, support being through apart-spherical bearing member 24, which engages the external cylindricalsurface of the member 15 to permit lengthwise movement of the burnerthrough the swirler 8 in order to accommodate lengthwire expansion pfthe burner.

The body 18 has a part-spherical bearing portion 25 engaging a part 26mounted by a locking nut 27 in an externally flanged sleeve 28 mountedon the outer casing 6 of the engine. A compressible seal 29 is providedbetween the body 18 and the part 26 which is held in place by the nut27. This nut also holds the bearing portion 25 against a furthercomplementarily shaped part 30 abutting against a shoulder of the sleeve28. This part of the outer casing 6 is substantially upstream from thecombustion chamber 1, as shown.

The sleeve 28 is mounted on the casing 6 by pins 31 and bolts (notshown), the pins being secured in the casing 6, and the sleeve 28 isprovided with substantial clearance over the body 18 so that limitedmovement of these parts about the part spherical bearing can take place.A pin 32 engaging a slot 33 in the sleeve 28 prevents relative angularmovement between the sleeve 28 and the body 18.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A burner assembly comprising an elongated burner providing passagesfor fuel to be ejected, support means whereby the burner can besupported in a structure, said support means comprising a part sphericalbearing disposed between the burner and the structure near one end ofthe burner, said bearing being fixed to the burner as well as to thestructure, and a further part spherical bearing disposed between theburner and the structure near the other end of the burner, the furtherbearing being fixed to the structure and connected to the burner topermit relative movement lengthwise of the burner to take place.

2. A burner assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which a swirler is mountedin the structure, said further part spherical bearing being disposedbetween the swirler and 3 4 the burner, to permit relative lengthwisemovement be- 2,965,303 12/1960 Jackson 239-132 tween the burner and theswirler and structure. 3,159,971 12/1964 Moebius et a1. 6039.743,320,744 5/1967 Blakely et a1. 60-3974 References Cited 2,675,8644/1954 Seaver 1226.5 1 2,907,527 10/1959 Cummings 239135 431-139

